


A Heart That Doesn’t Beat Can’t Possibly Love, Right?

by Puxa10



Category: Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Male or female will depend on mood, Multi, i hope this is fun, or thought process
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-23
Updated: 2020-03-07
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:54:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22855057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Puxa10/pseuds/Puxa10
Summary: Or the times when the characters I have S leveled with find out that their darling has (or had) no heart beat[and even characters I have *yet* to S level]
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/My Unit | Byleth, Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth, My Unit | Byleth & Claude von Riegan, My Unit | Byleth & Everyone
Comments: 4
Kudos: 17





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I have finished the game multiple times (what else am I going to do with my free time) but I will warn when the chapter might be (or is) very spoiler heavy
> 
> This chapter is 7-10 on the spoiler heavy. So here’s your one warning

Chapter One:

Vampire!Dimitri

When Dimitri and his other officers at the Academy had run to the mercenaries for whatever help they could give to protect the other two; (he didn’t need it with what he was), he was very caught off guard -not that he showed it, he was already making a show of being ‘out of his league’- when he caught sight of the young lady by the side of the more seasoned gentleman (very loose term applied) beside her. Sure she was pretty with dark blue hair and a shade darker blue eyes, but that hadn’t caught his attention at all. It was the fact she had no heart beat. And yet walked, talked, and fought like no one’s business. She had protected Edelgard despite having no reason for doing so. If his so called step sister died, that would be very advantageous for him, yet he still played the grateful young Prince for her, still very perplexed that her heart never beat.

~le little time skip~  
When Dimitri found out she had chosen his house to teach, he was a little stunned despite her saying she had come from Faerghus or thereabouts (no doubt her father Sir Jeralt had been around his Kingdom at one point) -and speaking of, he needed to do a mental apology. At one point her dad had served the Academy as a **CAPTAIN** , not that she had known. Sylvain the dead cur, tried to flirt with her. The reason the red head was still alive, was because it _hadn’t_ worked. Yet students from other houses began wanting to change their schedules (and alliances no doubt) to be her students permanently (he had softly chuckled to himself at that word. No one here was permanent, but him.

When she pulled the Sword of the Creator out of the tomb, you could officially have knocked him over with a damned feather, he had been so shocked it was WORKING FOR HER! What other surprises could she pull on him?! Apparently fainting one day was not far out of the question, he felt his heart (yes he’d been surprised to find it was still there) clench with actual fear, and had run to check on her not taking ‘no’ for an answer, needing to see her. And next time, he’ll be just a bit more careful with his crazy mental questions. The universe loves to see him squirm apparently. When Flayn had gone missing and had been found safe and sound, her very first true smile had appeared on her lips and he felt a part of him become alive and die at the same time seeing it. Asking to see it again, he thought he had been asking for too much, and yet she did. What a _beautiful_ sight. And before he realized it, the month of the Ball was upon them and he had to dance with this or that lady something or another. Honestly he wanted to dance with her. His professor. And he had asked for at least one when they saw each other in the Goddess Tower, not expecting, and yet over joyed when she agreed. He didn’t think his happiness would ever fade. And yet again, he should really be careful with these kinds of dares to the universe by now. Because the very next day they went on their mission and Jeralt had been killed in front of his precious professor.

He swore to her at the aftermath no matter whom her enemies were, they were officially his as well, and he would gladly kill them for her, should she ask it if him. And no, he hadn’t been kidding. And when she finally got the chance to kill the girl responsible she took it, no looking back. It was then that for the fourth time this year that his world had to be rearranged when he had both lost and regained his professor, and she came back changed with mint green tresses replacing the blue he had itched to touch (not that the mint helped with this urge) and her eyes changed to a darker green than before, matching Flayn and Rhea perfectly. And her explanation? She had had the Goddess living inside her for as long as she could remember, and had only just begun conversations with Sothis just before getting to the academy. And that Sothis had granted her, her power in order to escape the void she had been in. Then she fainted. Again. This time in sleep than dizziness no doubt. And not wanting anyone else to touch her, he was the one to carry her to Manuella this time.

And then they were facing the Flame Emperor within the tomb where the Goddess had dwelled. And his theory that he was actually Edelgard had not really, and had just a bit caught him off guard even with all the clues. So he finally lost any control over his cultured shell and attacked...well like a god damned BOAR. And not only that but when a man’s face exploded on his cheek he licked the blood off to get what his body and instinct desired. And War was upon them once and for all, and although Edelgard had at the last needed to retreat because of a huge white dragon, he lost the only person he had felt so human for, he watched his Byleth fall.

~le big time skip~  
Five years. He’s been **existing** in this empty monastery for _five_ **_years_**. Whatever Empire scum came around, he killed them and draining them dry, having absolutely no mercy left in this husk of a body. He lost an eye but honestly, even without it, his eyesight was tons better than any humans. As was his ears. And yet when he heard those familiar boots walking up the stairs, he didn’t believe. When she breathed into the room (surprise. She had been becoming more of a person during her time as a professor) he hadn’t believed. When she stepped into a beam of light to then stop and offer her hand to help, that’s when he dryly stated: “I should have known that one day your ghost would also begin to haunt me.” For why shouldn’t she? She had almost been everything to him once. She wouldn’t like him now. Just a husk, looking to kill.

”What are you talking about?” She had asked when he had told her that he would soon bring her, that woman’s head so to please leave him be. That, was when he finally believed. She _was_ there. She **was** real. Too damn bad.

She stole the right to torture a general of that Woman’s army by **_killing him_**. He laughed mercilessly. “Oh wrong move professor~. If you didn’t like my actions so much, then next time kill me, or I shall continue to use you and your friends until you all drop!” He challenged. She might have looked away there, just a little bit. Was that....sadness...for him...in those eyes?

His actions had consequences. Of course they had. When had his life been consequence free? Rodrigue, the man he had called a second father once had saved his worthless life. What was he living for? What could he move forward to?! A pale hand extended itself to him in the rain. “Your hands.” He remarked holding them both as carefully as he could and as tightly as he dared. “Were they always this warm?” He questioned. If so, he had forgotten that one time they danced. And in that moment both his instincts and everything else demanded he win back **his** professor. No. His _Byleth_. For he needed her now more than ever. And if his coldness had put up barriers and if she had begun to look elsewhere, he would center her attention on him! He would put out all the tricks he knew (which weren’t a lot) and maybe this time, he would not be giving this one a dagger. She wanted to teach him again? He would lovingly learn. He needed to make amends to Felix? Done and done, with action. And though she may not have her fullest attention on him, she did once more seem to have an affection for him (or maybe that look way back then had also been a clue it never had faded) gleaming in her eyes.

With Edelgard dead thanks to his Byleth, and the rest of his class and Dedue, he finally found his dear in the Goddess Tower like so many years before. She was Lady Byleth now, Arch Bishop for the Church. But she was still his.

”I got you this gift after many months of thought, and I hope, really hope that you’ll take it. I want you to be my wife professor. I know you don’t have a beating heart, have since the minute we met. And I know you know that I have a need for blood. More and more I have wanted it to be yours, and only yours. You own everything of me, Byleth. Please say yes?” He begged, and watched in amazement and glee as she also took out a ring of her own, taking his and putting it on, and putting hers on his ring finger.

”I was gonna ask you the same.” She teases with rare humor. She didn’t often show this playful side of herself to many. “And whenever you have the need, take it.” And so with his loves command, he sank his fangs into the neck of the Archbishop and future Queen of Faergus. His. Byleth. Her taste was anything beyond description, and so delightfully tempting. But he wanted her to live. Just not as he was. Not now. And maybe not ever (how had she not aged in five years again?) but he shall see if the future has any more delightful surprises ahead.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hubert’s turn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edelgard had actually wanted to be next, but was placated by her shadow.  
> And then Claude had popped up and said: “so I’m third right? Cause of the whole: First is the worst, second is the best, third is the one with the treasure chest? Well with how I’m dressed I *clearly* deserve third.”
> 
> You may be right in that you are flamboyantly dressed, but we shall see who is third or not.
> 
> This is an 8 of a spoiler warning

Chapter Two

Hubert

Hubert was not as pleased as Her Highness Edelgard had been to learn that the mercenary turned professor would be teaching their house. In fact he out and out warned her that if he suspected she would be a problem, he would gladly and without warning take her out of the picture the first time he had sought out an ‘audience’ with her. She hadn’t been intimidated though, and he could even put Dorothea in her place. He had to admit, if to himself, she had guts.

When she had taken the Sword of the Creator from the thieves, he thought that very well done and everything was finished. And then the Sword began to activate. That made no sense as the Sword was missing it’s stone. So how had she gotten it to activate?! So the second time he had sought her out he thought aloud that she was hard to sneak upon, so perhaps a tasteless poison might be the way to get her put down should the situation call for it. He was a little surprised to see a little bit of concern for Seteth’s sister disappearing, and yet had told her bluntly that had there been a kidnapping there wasn’t any chance for her death if they wanted something badly enough from her. She looked to take a little comfort from those words, which took him a bit more off guard. And then she smiled knowing the child was safe having saved her life, and THAT truly caught him stunned. His target can’t have smiled! She can’t be....adorable when she did so either. That was against his rules!   
  


What was also against his rules had been to follow her to the Goddess Tower just to see whom she had an assignation with during the ball. She had told him she hadn’t expected to see anyone else there that night, and for some odd reason he believed that. And then she turned the tables on him with that rumor. How very clever of her to have done so just so that he would leave. Another point to the professor, he mentally added to that list which had more items on it than he would have thought possible when they had met. For one, she was making the Empress relax some of her much needed walls between herself and her subjects, and yet still seem obtainable. How the professor had managed that while balancing her other students and their needs he had no idea. And he suddenly had the thought that she had been doing it to him! Even without his realizing it. Exceedingly clever. He would definitely have to remember that for the future. What he didn’t expect was the feeling of sorrow and pure unadulterated hatred for anyone that made the professor cry.

What was number one on his rules was never to change suddenly and without warning. Of _**course**_ , the professor in all her glory did just that after going after the murderess of her father in just as much fiery anger as was justified. What wasn’t expected was the hair and eye shade change. And to top it all off the very Goddess they were hoping to dispel had actually at one time lived within the body of the unassuming professor. Or not so unassuming as he had correctly surmised. What he hadn’t expected was for Edelgard carrying the sleeping professor over her shoulders. ”Let me take care of her at once!”

”No. You will drop her just for fun and leave her as she is. She needs care and not your kind of care right now Hubert.” Edelgard stated unequivocally and coldly. Well. He might have thought about it at one time. Before. But not right now. Any time he saw Her Majesty falter, he offered his services, but she refused and settled the sleeping weight every time.   
  


Call it what you will, curiosity or some other urging emotion. But something drove him to check upon the professor while she was still resting. And while Rhea was away of course. Couldn’t have it known by anyone else that he had this urge to make sure she was still with them. She had no right to die by anyone else’s hand but his own. She was sleeping peacefully still on the bed and he knelt on the floor moving the ends of her hair away from her lower neck the back of his fingers brushing that tender flesh where he knew a pulse line **should** be beating. But. Nothing. Not even in response to his touch. His target didn’t have a heart beat?! How irksome! How....impossible.

He didn’t say anything to Her Majesty about the lack of a heart beat, for he didn’t think it for the first time his business to. He took on the: what doesn’t hurt her Majesty won’t kill her either (or to put it more plainly, if Edelgard didn’t ask, he wouldn’t tell). He hadn’t even made any show that he knew to the Professor with her keen intelligent eyes. It was a relief to finally lay all of his and her Majesties cards upon the table when the whole class went to the tomb. And for Edelgard to ask for help by the archbishops favorite had not been easy. Neither had the smallest of hesitations before the professor stepped by the side of the Empress solidifying where her loyalties lay. There was no time to lose nor to prepare. They had to go to war, and it had to be immediately. And then the worst seemed to happen within the grasp of their win. The professor went missing. And so they had to retreat having no idea if she was still back there. Maybe to be poisoned by more lies. Or maybe to be killed. Which....would be worse to bear?

~le big time skip~  
Was her Majesty _quite_ insane? Why had she screamed (yes actually screamed) for everyone that had taken a place within the monastery to come to the chapel right then? And not to tally? She could have rung whatever bells were still working from their take over, but then the other lowlife villagers might wonder why, so perhaps it was for that reason she was yelling. So Hubert made his way to the chapel and beside her Majesty was...he stopped in his tracks his heart actually stopping as well before racing. By the Holy Goddess. **Byleth**. And no different than how she appeared five long years ago!?

”Now we no longer have to hear the refrains: ‘if only the professor were here she would have come up with something. Oh I so wish the professor had seen that! She would have been joyous to see it.’” Joked Ferdinand.

”I thought I told you to never again bring this up.” Edelgard reprimanded with a very becoming blush upon her cheeks. He saw the enchanting smile upon Byleth’s lips as her students began to bicker and chatter excitedly to see she was safe and unharmed. He excused himself.

He had stopped planning out ways to kill her, hadn’t he? How odd. It can’t be because of all the progress they had made ever since the return of the professor. It hadn’t even been a thing when she miraculously came from nowhere to reunite with her students. He hadn’t even done so during the first attack upon Rhea and her ilk. So why? And _when_ had he really stopped? And why was it that his list had changed from ‘Edelgard first, second, third forever’ it now stated: ‘Edelgard first, Byleth second and forever’? Oh shit. He can’t, can he? Fuck! Any time they were in a skirmish he made sure he was close so that he could protect Byleth any time she looked to be a little overwhelmed despite both her prowess, power, and abilities she could not foresee everything. And anything she missed, he attacked. Hopefully she hadn’t noticed that he was protecting her. For Sothis’ name let this hope be heard.

”Thank you. I needed the back up there.” She personally came to see him to deliver her thanks one day. So, she had noticed had she? Well best to give her a glib answer.

”If you were to die now, it would cause further distress upon her Majesty. She was so passionately sure you were still alive and well during your five year power nap, that it drove most of us to the brink of insanity of: ‘please just one more search in the more obscure of places I beg’ which is demeaning of her to have done. So don’t thank me. I’m just making sure you stay alive for her sake. At least until your usefulness expires.” He retorted with a bored face (and he’d had to congratulate himself for that performance) and a ‘leave now you bore me’ wave of his quill as he continued to help Edelgard with her massive amount of paper work. He didn’t miss the coy grin upon her lips before she left though. What had that meant?

And then the battle with the immaculate one had been fought and won with the hard work of his Edelgard. And his Byleth. He’d known when the big battle was to arrive he wanted her by his side.   
“Just ask her to marry you, you ninny.” Edelgard had berated him one day. “Before someone else steals her from you.” She did have a point there unfortunately. He had seen how other men had flown to her. Wanting everything he had already had seen. Much like birds after a flower that already had a bee. And he hoped he was that bee worthy of her.

”Will someone without a heartbeat show it within her to love me anyway?” Hubert asks letting it slip that he had known for a while.

”At the battle something inside shattered. Come here.” Byleth motioned for him to get closer to her, so he did. What he did not expect was for a beautiful resized ring to be put around his finger, nor for her to pull his head down and place his ear over the heart that now beat. And that it was racing. At his nearness? How fascinating!! She has a heartbeat now. And it sounded delightful to his ears. “Oh. And yes. By the way. I will marry you.” She added as an afterthought pulling her fingers through his hair scratching at his scalp. Making his own heart beat faster and with heat. This little minx. He was going to enjoy showing her why messing with a former assassin who was willing to kill you at a moments notice, to one who wanted her protection at any and all costs was not a very good idea. Or....maybe it was the best one in all of Fódlan. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edelgard’s turn this is also an 8 on the spoiler scale
> 
> I know that El can be S leveled with f!Byleth yet for the past two chapters Byleth had been female. Lets change it up this chapter. See how I like writing Byleth as male.
> 
> And besides. El is bae, she is so cute when you s level her, I just love that picture. Ugh.

Chapter Three

Edelgard

Going to the Mercenaries for help had not been her idea (or perhaps it was a joint idea since Claude had run, making Dimitri and herself run as well even if it had only been something the tactician hadn’t thought all the way through) and yet she couldn’t argue with the results when the child of Captain Jeralt had saved her life. Yet he hadn’t known, which was surprising. Why wouldn’t the ex Captain tell his offspring about his past? What were they trying to hide? The young male had potential that was for certain, and so she had begun to ask for his help to aid the empire, yet had been interrupted by the other two, which was only to be expected. After all, she had started it, only fair the other two got their two gold pieces in. How could it have been that the Mercenary be from the Empire and she hadn’t known? Unless it hadn’t been for very long, which considering the life he must have led as a mercenary, she didn’t doubt.

The professor had chosen her house to lead, and the rambunctious nature of everyone showed at the very start, and Hubert had put it correctly that the man had a high hill to climb if his very first task was to take them to task. The mock battle with his leadership went brilliantly (not that she thought it would go otherwise) with their win he truly began to grow into his ‘professor’ title. It had been fascinating to watch him get comfortable in teaching them all (and probably especially her, it must have been daunting to realize one was teaching the future Empress) and to realize he had the talent for it. Pretty soon his teaching began to attract other students from other houses, with their wanting to join in. And not to mention her growing need for his leadership, which she hadn’t thought at all possible. Nor had she thought it possible that she would begin to tell him of her past. Her horrible traumatic past. Or for the relief she felt at the telling it to him. The battle of The Eagle and Lion went spectacularly with their success! The professor smiles winningly at them and congratulates them in fighting hard.

The loss of Flayn had the professor in a bit of a worried all around search for the girl, and Edelgard was surprised at the amount of worth she saw in those otherwise calm dark blue eyes of his. She wasn’t able to help get Flayn from the Death Knight (not really, but that was despite the point) and she saw the most handsome thing: his smile. It was astounding to her to see all the emotions the professor was beginning to show. Time seemed to fly until the month of the Ball was announced. It was to no one else’s surprise that Ferdinand insisted (read begged) to be the dancer for the competition, and seeing as he had wanted it so bad, the professor gave it to him. And also provided a lesson. What could her professor not do, she idly wondered in her secret time alone. She had to watch from her peripheral vision the day of the ball (Ferdinand did wind up winning the dance competition, which was good for him.) as her professor danced with Claude and she hid her seething jealousy to see it expertly she believed. It wouldn’t be until later that she found him in the Goddess Tower as if to see what the ruckus and the rumors were about she believed.   
“You do know what they say about this Tower don’t you? So tell me my professor, what shall we wish for together?” She asks and was mildly surprised to hear his answer of wanting them to get closer. That made her much happier than she would have expected. And then that happiness vanished when during the next mission, her darling professor’s father was murdered. She felt a bit like she was to blame, and honestly maybe that was the reason she had been so sharp to him while he was still grieving. But he had to get out of this mood or it would twist the guilty knife deeper into her heart.

And then they were charged by a reluctant Rhea who had no one else to send after the murderers, and she hadn’t ever seen him so angry beyond the attack on Remire Village. And then he disappeared by a ritualistic spell, but neither she nor did anyone else in their class believe that he wouldn’t come back. He wasn’t your everyday human being after all. And if anyone could surprise her one more time, it would be he. And surprise her he did, spectacularly! He had been granted the power of Sothis by that very same Goddess, who by the way, had been inhabiting his mind since even before they met. It was after this revelation that he collapsed asleep before her, and she had to carry his weight all the way back to the Academy even with Hubert insisting someone else carry him.

A month passes by after her professor took his revenge upon those that had killed her father, even if Solan had disappeared before the final blow could fall upon him, the coward. And she asked him to accompany her to Enbarr to oversee her secret coronation, as it wouldn’t take too long and they’d be back before their next mission. For some reason more than ever she felt a choice being made and time seemed to stop for half a second before he agreed to her request, for which she was eternally grateful for. After all, even though the coronation **should** have a representative of the church (aka Rhea or Seteth) he could also do in a pinch. He was after all Rhea’s favorite now (or had since he came to the Academy) and besides she could always say he carried the power of the Goddess in him, without stretching the truth too horribly.

The ceremony went without any issue, and with the present Duke Aigr taken away and arrested, she knew her reign would be an even bumpier one from here on out. She still had to thank him again for all that he had done for her, and to keep her coronation a secret from everyone else, which she thought he would do, since he was so admirable in that sense. She wondered what would happen once her playacting had to stop? It will. And honestly she was a little scared to find out. But she would very soon. Being led to where the Goddess had slept was too good of an opportunity to let slip from her grasp. She had the thieves quietly following after her class a ways away, to keep Rhea from noticing. And honestly, to keep her professor in the dark for as long as she could. She watched as her professor sat on the chair and nothing happened for a moment and that’s when she finally stopped the play. And she finally got to experience just what it felt to be on the receiving end of the tactics and might of her professor. What would it be like to be his enemy?

”You must kill her professor. Kill the one who would trespass and degrade our Goddess thus!” Rhea demanded and she once more felt a decision being made and balance being tested. And once again she was surprised and delighted when instead of following the order, he stood a little in front of her as if to protect her.   
“My professor...I...I thank you.” Edelgard found herself saying even as Hubert also thanked him. And that’s when Rhea threw a hissy fit and transformed into The Immaculate One. The professor, Hubert, and herself magicked away from the tomb as quickly as they could.

She had been more than ready to fight this war against the Church all on her own if she’d had to. But now, she didn’t need to. Everyone who was in their class and even those that had switched to her house, met up at the Empire’s stronghold no doubt mainly because the Professor had chosen to be on her side. That didn’t matter much beyond the fact that more people was always a good thing to have in a war, even as Flayn unsurprisingly left their ranks. Then they were in the biggest battle of their lives and everything was going spectacularly. But somehow she had gotten separated from her Professor, when Rhea turned into the Immaculate One and shot some sort of fire thing at him. No! Not her professor! Not Byleth!   
  


~le big time skip~  
High and low, here and there, any obscure spot she could think to send some of her soldiers on the search for her Professor. He wasn’t dead. He hadn’t died when he had been consumed by nothingness. He could survive an attack by a mythical beast. She was standing by the window of the Goddess Tower when she heard footsteps and turned sharply around.

”Who goes there?!” A gasp escaped her lips and her eyes widened. “My professor! Can it be? Is it truly you? But I had my best people searching for you everywhere! Where could you have gone!” And then she hugged him close to her not caring about the hows, or the whys. He was finally there. And unchanged with the five long years she had to be without his power, tactics, or just him. She’d needed him so bad. She gathered all the students who were at the monastery with them together to also rejoice in their reuniting, much like they had promised five years ago.

”Now we no longer have to hear the refrains: ‘if only the professor were here she would have come up with something. Oh I so wish the professor had seen that! She would have been joyous to see it.’” Joked Ferdinand, causing Edelgard to blush prettily.

”No one could quite live up to her expectations much like you Professor. I am so happy that you have returned.” Gushed Dorothea. Well, Edelgard will just have to talk to the flirtatious songstress later. And once more she relied on the strength and reliability of the Professor during the fight that would come up during the months ahead. She continued to open up to him, and she figured if nothing else came of this, she had a close confidant. Even if she wanted more than that relationship with him.

And then the major battle was upon them, and she knew she would heavily need his assistance with these battles more than ever. She had to kill Dimitri, her step brother as he could no longer be trusted to be a worthy king to his people. She could no longer shed tears about something like this, but she would have in a different time, and in different circumstances. And then the battle to end all battles was upon them, the Immaculate One was their opponent now. And they finally took down the monster that was oppressing the people. She watched in horror as her professor fell down, the mint color fading from his hair. Oh Goddess not again! Her heart twisted as she places her ear over his chest to listen for a heartbeat, but didn’t hear one. And then tears finally did spring to her eyes. Goddess no. Please. Not him. Don’t take Byleth away from me, she ironically prayed. And all of a sudden she felt an urge to check again, and this time she heard it. A heart beat. She began to laugh in delight and relief that he once more returned to her.

”El, will you take this ring, and do me the honor of marrying me?”

”You called me El.” Edelgard stated in surprise while looking at the ring he held in his hand as they once again were in the Goddess Tower. “Oh I so hoped you would ask me. I am so happy.”

~a couple of weeks into the wedded bliss~  
”What is this?” El asks Byleth as he extended a book to her.

”My dad’s diary. I put it within his desk the month after his death and reading it, and quite honestly didn’t remember it was there until I needed to once more find it and what used to be my mother’s ring. Read it.” Her husband bade, and so curious she did so. She looked at him after reading the most prominent point she believed he wanted her to see.

”You didn’t have a heart beat? Not _once_ since your birth?!” She squeaked a little outraged she hadn’t been told.

”No, although I might have experienced something close to death and rebirth when whatever was stopping my heart from beating, which might have been the crest stone that powered the Sword of the Creator for me, shattered with the death of the Immaculate One. It’s...weird to have a heart beat. As well as all the emotions I hadn’t really experienced.” She **had** noticed that his reactions to certain things had been extraordinarily extreme, and yet hadn’t thought to question why that was. She stood and gave him a gentle kiss to his lips. 

“If things are getting way too intense for your emotions, you can tell me you know.”

”Yes. I do know. After all it is only right that I treat my wife the same that she treated me: as a confidant.” He stated wrapping his arms around her waist in adoration.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The question and answer at the ball were made up cause I haven’t met El at the Tower yet so....
> 
> And I forgot the final speech Byleth makes to El. I made them both up and will hope I got them at least close on the mark.


	4. Seteth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s Seteth’s turn  
> Claude: “But I thought I was to be third. Or at the very least fourth.”  
> Me: Sorry to disappoint but when I get muses for people and they are insistent, well I just have to get them out of the way. You’ll get your turn soon you big baby ❤️
> 
> This is a 7 on the spoiler scale for the Golden Deer route so if you haven’t played that route yet, please don’t read this chapter :)

Chapter Four

Seteth

How in the heavens could Rhea give the job of professor to a stranger, and a child no less?! If anything give the job to the father, at the very least. The female mercenary looked to be no older than the very students she were to teach! And not to mention Flayn was here now as well, could they honestly trust this mercenary? Well, if Rhea said she trusted this girl, then perhaps he might be willing to allow this whim of the archbishops. But he would be keeping a close ear and eye (when he could spare the latter) on this...Byleth character.

As time seemed to pass and the young mercenary began to both get comfortable in and thrive as a professor, he had to admit (if only to himself) that perhaps she was a good choice after all to lead the Golden Deer house. It didn’t surprise him that with her achievements in the missions the church gave her and her class, plus her teaching prowess that other students from other classes sought to switch to her class, and mostly from what he could hear were young men. Not that **that** was of any concern to him of course. And then she began to seek out lessons of her own; and she often came to him for lessons in riding, Lance work, and mostly in gaining more skills in Sword play. And then she did the most surprising thing: she not only stopped thieves from taking the Sword of the Creator but for some unknown reason, it activated for her! And Rhea thought that she should keep the ancient powerful sword?! Was she quite mad? But when Rhea decided something she stuck to it. After all that was the main reason Byleth was teaching there at all.

Horsebow Moon was upon them and the very worst thing to ever happen to him occurred: Flayn was missing! He had searched high and low and had interrupted whatever Rhea had been saying to the Professor (yes even he had begun to think of her in that oddly affectionate nick name all the students call her) and he begged for help in getting her back. If she were harmed...oh for the Goddess please no! He would not be able to live. First his wife had died and now he just might very well lose Flayn to that horrible fate as well. He felt sick with worry and dread as the Professor began her research and detective work in finding his Flayn. She even came to assure him that she would indeed find Flayn, which gladdened his heart somewhat. Was he actually relying on someone he hadn’t trusted at first? He would have to apologize for his brusk manner to her, if he would remember.   
  
Oh thank the Goddess and her mercy! Flayn was alright! And yet if they were to leave again....but that was when Flayn herself objected to that course of action. She didn’t want to go back into hiding. That was when she had the idea that since the Professor saved her, she should teach her now! The Professor agreed that would be a great idea for which he was thankful for.   
“Are you sure?”   
“If I wasn’t would I offer?” She asks rhetorically but with a small teasing grin. Having not seen such a smile on her lips before, he was a little taken aback. With what he had heard, at first the professor had been a bit taciturn with her expressions (Ashen Demon, that had been her nickname for the mercenaries she had been a part of came to mind) and yet she was now smiling.   
“I thank you for taking care of my sister.” He stated keeping up that lie for a little while longer.   
  


And yet that secret was shown to the professor as pirates had been near where he had buried his wife, which was not an okay thing for him.   
“You see professor,” He began when he and Flayn were very much alone and all the other students had begun to head back to the monastery. “Flayn is actually my daughter.”

”I actually had the feeling that was the case.” Byleth admitted which shocked him.

”Really? And here I thought I had the whole ‘big brother’ part down. You won’t be telling anyone else this....right?” He asked almost reluctantly.   
“Of course not.” She immediately assured. Which made the worry untie from around his heart.

The month of the ball was upon the students, and even for the Professor who was experiencing this for the first time if what he heard about the professor’s life was any indication. There was only that and the trouble in Remire Village to be concerned about. He idly wondered what the Professor would think about the rumor about the Goddess Tower and who -if anyone- she would meet there. She had chosen Lorenz as the dancer? Well, she certainly had a good eye (or more than likely the lad had insisted he be the choice.)

He felt a knife being twisted in his heart when the Professor came back from her mission, hearing about Jeralt’s death. She looked so depressed. He knew exactly what that felt like, having out lived his wife, but seeing the sadness in those blue eyes...well...it hurt. And then seeing determination and hatred bloom in those eyes made him glad of it. Seeing her so down, it just wasn’t good. And yet this hatred...that could also be troublesome. He hoped nothing bad would happen. They were so short on people to send when they finally found the perpetrators of Jeralt’s murder, and Claude had a good point. The professor was their best fighter and with her students there as well, there was no way they would lose. It no doubt was a trap for the Professor, but she still went with the order from Rhea to do so.

Holy....shit. He knew it was uncouth to swear but still. Holy shit. She had mint green hair and a lighter shade of green eyes. Seeing this change he did the unthinkable and read Jeralt’s diary. That might have been an extreme thing to do, but he needed answers and with Claude having had permission to read the book, he figured she wouldn’t mind if he did as well. This was that very child that had ‘died’ in that fire 21 years ago. Just what had Rhea done to the baby then?! No wonder she hadn’t had much expressions. Her heart didn’t beat, and probably still wasn’t. The Professor had gotten the newest mission of going to the tomb where the Goddess had slept once, and he was still very uneasy about this whole thing. And then his uneasy feeling was rewarded when Edelgard, the new Empress declared war on them all. The fighting had been going well, and it seemed that the church with Byleth at their side was winning when Edelgard called for the back up provided by her uncle. He along with everyone else who was directed by the Professor began to run off, so he didn’t see much. What he did see was Rhea changing into the Immaculate One and those horrible beasts overpowering her, the professor going to rescue her, and then falling off the precipice.

~le big time skip~  
  


It was five years since both Rhea and the Professor had disappeared. Such a short and yet long time to pass with nought a word. He was brought out of his musing by the announcement by Claude to come immediately to the main part of the church, for a surprise. He felt his heart stutter and his lungs seize as beside the leader of the Alliance was none other than the very woman he had been thinking about not that long ago. By the Goddess’ mercy. She had returned to them. But alas, Rhea had not been with her. But he supposed that they would find her, after all that was Catherine’s main objective and no doubt they would. Things began to look up and once more return to a somewhat normal pattern as once more Byleth was put into the position to teach those around her, and he was glad to be apart of their number once more. They had to defeat Dimitri and Edelgard at the fields where the battle of the Eagle and Lion had been five years ago. It was then reported that Dimitri in his rage had attacked several axe men from the empire and had been brutally killed the poor boy.

After defeating Hubert and Edelgard they did finally find Rhea, weak, starving, and cold, but alive. Yet happiness seemed to follow with the bitter, for not too long afterword they were sent by Hubert’s letter to annihilate those who slithered in the dark, and Rhea went as well. That had been to her peril though as Nemesis was back, and he had his sights on them having obtained all the ground they had made thus far. And the archbishop died. One last battle. One more charge onto the battlefield. Both Byleth and Claude killed Nemesis, and he felt it, peace settling once and for all upon the grounds.

He met with Byleth the new Queen of Fódlan (Claude had gone back to his homeland and to bring peace there and afterword to Brigid to marry the new queen there, and _someone_ had to lead. She was the natural choice; having brought those under her care together, plus having the powers of the Goddess didn’t hurt) in the Goddess Tower. He had decided not that long ago that he wanted this wonderful, fantastic and quite impossible woman as his new wife. Plus Flayn had been over the moon when he posed the question of marrying her ‘darling professor’, so he had that as added incentive as well. In fact: “Oh please father do! She would be a most excellent step mother for me. I actually begun to think of her as a close friend, but now to call her mother is my dearest wish! Plus you are not that old. Perchance I might gain a sibling!” Were her exact words. To be called ‘father’ and so openly. He had blushed a bit at Flayn’s forward suggestion of a sibling...but to be perfectly honest he would not be adverse to once more becoming a father. Especially not with Byleth as the mother. She would look splendid pregnant.

”Your Majesty, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?” He asks giving her a ring he had sought that would suit her. She smiles adoringly at him, nods and gives him a ring as well in answer. “You have made me a very happy man. But there is no rest for the wicked as they say, and you have paper work.” He chuckles softly as she groans and brings him to her level for a kiss.

”That was not at all fair of you.” She mock complains. He shrugs and grins at her.

”Well maybe next time there should be someone else to be king of all to deal with the paper work.” For he didn’t want to think of the possibility of any other Queen of Fódlan than the one before him.

**Author's Note:**

> I had to do v!Dimitri au first. Come on! It was screaming at me to!
> 
> When am I going to do my other works? I have -no- idea. This is the one time in a while I have wanted to write anything. I am just coming off the flu (on my birthday week too D:) and both real life and unwillingness to write was getting to me. If anyone wants to adopt any please let me know. I’ll let you have them unless they are still being worked on or will be in the future


End file.
